Wireless network connections (e.g., Wi-Fi, cellular data connections, connections to wireless hotspots that use cellular data connections, etc.) are increasingly being used to connect devices (e.g., laptop computers, tablet computers, smartphones, etc.) to networks, such as, the Internet. Unsecured wireless networks (e.g., a network that is not password protected and encrypted using, for example, wireless protected access) present security and privacy risks to users of devices connected to such networks. Connecting to an unsecured network, such as a public Wi-Fi hotspot, can allow malicious users to gain access to unencrypted communications through sniffers, sidejacking, honeypot attacks, Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) spoofing, etc. Technologies exist for securing communications over an unsecured network, but the technologies rely on the user to determine the security of a network and connect to a service, such as a VPN, manually each time they connect through an unsecured network. Many users do not expend the effort to do this, or lack the technical know-how to secure their communications.
Additionally, many providers of wireless network connections, such as cellular data providers, charge based on the amount of data sent over the wireless network connection, provide an allotted amount of data that can be sent over the wireless network connection for a period of time, limit bandwidth when an amount of data sent over the wireless network connection exceeds a threshold amount of data (e.g., a data cap), and/or otherwise seek to limit the usage of the wireless network connection.
Therefore there is a need for approaches for automatically detecting the security of a network that a device is connected to and controlling that device's connection to the network based on the detected security, as well as automatically compressing data sent over a metered data connection. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide methods, systems, and media for secure connection management.